


I'm sick of hearing that time always heals (Try to tell that to my scars)

by Shadowsingeraxolotl



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Frigga (Marvel), BAMF Frigga (Marvel), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I actually say this with no sarcasm, Loki & Sif (Marvel) Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Odin did fuck up, Protective Frigga (Marvel), Protective Thor (Marvel), The Avengers Are Good Bros, The Warrior Three are good bros, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, and now Loki has a loving dad, as well as a loving mom and brother, but then he took responsibility
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24083512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowsingeraxolotl/pseuds/Shadowsingeraxolotl
Summary: During a discussion on supernatural tales and legends, the legend of la Llorona comes up, and the subsequent explanation is much too similar to a certain demon of the Odinsons
Relationships: Loki & Avengers Team, Loki & Sif (Marvel), Loki & Thor (Marvel), Sif & Thor (Marvel), Sif & Warriors Three (Marvel), Thor & Avengers Team
Comments: 17
Kudos: 116





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GalaxyThreads](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyThreads/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Weeping Siren](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19839808) by [GalaxyThreads](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyThreads/pseuds/GalaxyThreads). 



> I was reading GalaxyThreads' The Weeping Siren, and a train of thought about how the siren's story reminded me of La Llorona (probably an inspiration) and this idea hit me. Of course, this is mostly a way to get my motivation for my other stories back, but I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> Btw, this is set sometime after CAtWS and TDW never happened, the Avengers and Thor realized that the Mind Stone was used on Loki (but not like Clint go read PeaceHeather's Fate's Guardian to get a rundown on what happened on the stone's end of things, but the torture he physically went through will be described briefly in the next chapter where we get to the actual reason I wrote this rather than the setup.) 
> 
> Also, I don't really know when the events of 'The Weeping Siren' takes place Pre-Thor, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's been about two centuries.
> 
> I just wanted to put up a disclaimer that I don't own anything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU belongs to Marvel and Disney and this and any stories I might write on the matter are for entertainment use only and I am not gaining any sort of financial benefits whatsoever.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint is injured in a mission, summer break starts, Loki and Thor are informed about the term 'brodinsons', and Steve suggests they have a slumber party

When the Avengers arrived back at the Tower, faces painted with lines of exhaustion, every inch of exposed skin covered in streaks and splatters of blood, a heavy layer of stone dust like a second skin, the sky was lightening into a faint powder blue as the sun rose. 

A tall figure clothed in deep green and black leathers, small silver studs decorating the upper arms and legs and a gold chest piece accentuating the green, was holding up a smaller man in a SHIELD issued uniform, a bow slung over his shoulder. 

Nearly dragging the smaller man, the taller assisted him over to the doors, a medical team already on standby as the rest of the team approached, pulling him carefully onto a gurney and wheeling him away. 

After an hour, the sun had fully risen and the rest of the team were sprawled on the couches on the communal floor, dressed in much more casual clothes. 

“How’s Barton?” The question was directed towards the raven-haired team member. 

“I do not know Stark. My seidr only detected a few broken ribs and a dislocated wrist and shoulder. Helen might’ve found something else, but until we are told otherwise, that is all I know.” 

The reply was quiet, the exhaustion finally catching up to the god as he lay next to Thor, feet extending over the arm of the couch. 

Falling into silence, half of the team drifted off, knowing that if there was any news the remaining members would wake them up. 

A few minutes passed, the only sounds were of the city below them waking up, early-morning traffic honking their horns at each other as they were cut off. Everything was peaceful until Thor started snoring. Annoyed, Loki grabbed a pillow, pressing it up against Thor’s face, trying to smother the sound. 

“Hey, hey Lokes. We talked about this-” Tony waved a tired hand in their direction, fingers pinched over the bridge of his nose as he tried to ward off the headache he had been nursing since they had gotten back- “ no smothering your brother.” 

Throwing a half-hearted glare in the billionaire’s direction, Loki reluctantly removed the pillow, the loud snores permeating the air again. Flicking his wrist, faded wisps of green materialized, drifting around Thor’s head, muffling the noises, but allowing him to breathe. 

Dozing lightly, Tony and Loki both looked up blearily as Natasha walked into the room looking as tired as they felt. She had not changed out of her uniform yet and she was still covered in blood and dust. 

“Clint’s out of surgery-” She sat down, watching as Steve prodded Bruce, Loki doing the same with Thor until they woke- “He had two broken ribs, a dislocated and a broken wrist, a dislocated shoulder, and one of his ribs was scraping up against his lung. But otherwise, he’s fine and will make a full recovery.” 

They all collectively gave a sigh of relief, slumping back against whatever piece of furniture they had claimed. 

“Agent Barton is most fortunate. That mighty blow that horrid creature had landed upon his fragile skin was most terrible.” 

Loki groaned, tipping his head back as he rolled his eyes as he threw an arm out to push Thor hard enough to tip him over. “Stop that, you absolute  _ oaf.  _ “ Thor looked over at his baby brother innocently. 

“Whatever do you mean, dearest brother of my heart?” Loki groaned again, lifting his foot to plant it squarely against Thor’s chest, pushing him back again. 

“ _ That! _ That archaic speech that you insist on using. We are not that overly formal all of the time, yet you insist that you must use it always, going so far as to lay it on thicker than it is just to mess with our friends.” 

Thor grinned, opening his mouth to reply, but Tony beat him to the punch. 

“ _ I knew it! _ Pepper and Rhodey thought I was delusional, but I told them that you were only messing with us!” Sitting up, he pointed a finger at Thor, a slightly crazed grin on his face. 

“You can’t fool me Point Break, I was always onto you.” Slumping backwards, Thor pouted, ignoring Loki’s pointed look. 

“Congratulations Tony, you’ve figured it out.” 

Tony yawned, stretching his arms into the air, hearing several cracks as he did so. 

“Well, now we know that Legolas isn’t going to die, I’m going to get some sleep.” 

Everyone nodded, yawning as they agreed. Loki paused, his eyes flickering towards Steve as he sat there, looking contemplative. 

“Steve?” 

The supersoldier looked up at his name, his expression still contemplative. 

“Why don’t we sleep here? Even when Clint is released, he’ll still be put on bed rest, so he can just sleep in here with all of us just having a massive slumber party for whoever long it takes for Clint to heal. Also, for the best part, we can turn it into a team-building exercise.” 

They all exchanged glances, as much as they groaned and complained, they all rather enjoyed the various team-building exercises Steve came up with. 

Natasha was the first to speak up. “Why not? I don’t really have much to do since Clint’s not really up for the various missions Maria gives us when all of us aren’t needed.” Tony jumped in, pulling out his phone to pull up a calendar. 

“Yeah, and since tomorrow is the start of summer break, AIM, Doom, and any other supervillain we have to beat up won’t be active.” 

Bruce tapped the bridge of his nose, nodding along with Tony. “It is kinda weird that everyone takes a break from supervillain-ing whenever kids have a break from school. It is nice to give us a break though, so I’m not going to complain.” 

They turned to Loki and Thor who were giving each other looks. “What about you brodinsons?” 

They turned to Tony with incredulous expressions. “Excuse me, brodinsons?” Loki was the one to speak up, an eyebrow arched high over emerald green eyes. 

Tony stuck his tongue out, pressing something on his phone before turning it off and shoving it back into his pocket. “You’re excused, Lokes.” Loki scowled and moved forward, only to be held back by Thor’s beefy arm, preventing Loki from even poking Tony with a fake dagger. 

“Loki, enough please.” When Loki had complied, Thor looked over at Tony. “You were saying?” 

Tony shrugged, moving over to the fridge and pulling out a water bottle, quickly chugging it down and throwing it into the recycling. “Brodinsons-” He gestured to the two Asgardians in front of him- “Ever since it was revealed to the media that Loki wasn’t the deranged, imperialistic, psychopath we all thought he was at first, and he joined us, some kid made a post coining the moniker ‘brodinsons’ to refer to both of you, the media caught on and so now whenever someone is talking about you two, they refer to you as the brodinsons.” 

This seemed to appease them, the brodinsons looking rather pleased.

“So what about you guys, can Asgard spare their two princes for what, three to four weeks max?” 

Thor grinned. “I’m sure Mother and Father would enjoy the extra time alone.” 

As soon as the words left his lips, everyone, including Loki, gave a noise of disgust. 

“Ugh, Thor! No one wanted to hear that.”

After Bruce’s exclamation, they all looked at each other, drinking in the absurd situation.

After a few beats of silence, Tony started snorting, Steve following his example as they tried to contain their giggles. 

Giving in, the two of them leant on each other, their laughter contagious as one by one, everyone joined them. They all were laughing now, sinking to the floor as their laughter got the best of them, clutching their stomachs as their sleep-deprived brains slowly guided their descent into tears. 

After ten minutes of Earth’s Mightiest Defenders rolling on the ground as they cried tears of laughter, JARVIS recording every second of their breakdown, they finally sobered, getting to their feet and heading towards their own floors (Loki and Thor sharing one of course) to grab pillows, blankets, and whatever they thought they would need for their slumber party. 

Natasha also took the time to rid herself of her suit, taking a shower to remove the grime from her body before slipping into something more comfortable and meeting them on the communal floor. After arguing for a minute, they finally decided to watch the entirety of the Star Wars movies, the prequels included since they agreed that Steve and the two Asgardians deserved to have the full experience. 

Natasha was surprised when Tony said that he did, in fact, enjoy the prequels, since, as he said, “They’re not as terrible as a lot of people might think. Sure it explains the whole midichlorian bullshit, of which I just ignore, it gives a lot more weight to the actions of the characters in the original trilogy.” 

When asked about the sequel trilogy that was being made, Tony had groaned and stuffed popcorn into his mouth, making sure to finish chewing before he spoke. “All I ask for is that they don’t fuck things up. I have semi-high hopes for them and I hope to be pleasantly surprised instead of disappointed.” 

And that had been the end of that conversation as they settled in further to continue watching the movies until they fell asleep in the middle of A New Hope. 


	2. If You Say So

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Okay, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I expected, so uh, enjoy? 
> 
> When describing Thor when he's doing something loud, or when he's angry is hard, mostly because the urge to make thunder and lighting puns are too powerful to not make them
> 
> I have no idea what Asgard and the other realms besides Midgard consider to be fair treatment of a 'war criminal' with royal or noble status, so I'm just going to wing it for the small-time the concept has in this story and any other stories I am or will write that includes the matter. 
> 
> So I lied. This is still the set up for the story, but I promise that we will get to the actual story part in the next chapter
> 
> Also, I forgot to mention that it wasn't the warriors three and Sif that betrayed Asgard and Loki by going to get Thor, it was a group of councillors who overpowered Heimdall with their personal guards after they didn't agree with the ones who put Loki on the throne (because duh, the really smart prince with magic definitely put Odin in the Odinsleep that he had been putting off and will now catch him off guard with overwhelming him until he goes into Odinsleep without being prepared, thus gaining the throne illegally when he would've been put on the throne since he was 'of age' and Thor had been banished anyway). I chose this explanation because using all of the Thor 1 plot would've completely thrown off all of the character development and better understanding through shared trauma they got in 'The Weeping Siren'. This is also not compliant with anything that happened in later chapters of 'The Blodig Skog', the sequel from GalaxyThreads.

The golden halls of Asgard’s palace glinted warmly in the torchlight, the quiet footsteps of Asgard’s reigning monarch as he tiredly made his way to his shared quarters after the last council meeting of the day. Nodding to the pair of guards on patrol, Odin made his way through the royal wing, passing Loki and Thor’s suites and chuckling as he made out the large splatters of emerald paint that created an incredibly detailed outline of his elder son on Thor’s door. 

A few weeks ago, before the sons of Odin had departed for Midgard once more, Loki had cornered Thor against the door to his chambers, using his seidr to drench the golden prince in emerald paint that had taken three days to wash off. The paint on his door, however, would not budge, no matter how much scrubbing or use of seidr anyone who had been tasked with it had employed. 

Opening the door and closing it behind him as he slipped inside, Odin left Gungnir in the stand that had been specially constructed for it, the warding enveloping the spear in a cocoon of golden runes. 

“You look tired, my love.” Odin snorted good-naturedly, closing his eye and sighing as Frigga helped him out of his armour.

“The council seemed to take the fact that the heir and heir-apparent are on Midgard for longer than usual means they are abandoning Asgard and will never come back.”

Frigga smiled, removing the last of the armour and handing it over to Avis to have it cleaned for the next day. “Yes, well the council has never been known for being particularly level-headed or capable of making logical conclusions.” 

Moving into the bed-chamber, the two monarchs settled into two of the four chairs in front of the fireplace. 

Frigga was the first to speak, gazing into the golden flames that danced and crackled. “I worry about our sons.” 

Odin cracked a smile. “Whatever for, my dear?” Frigga shot him a look, her lips curling upwards. Her smile fell, the merrily dancing light in her eyes swirling with concern. 

“Loki has gone through so much in his short life, with those horrid dwarves that sewed his lips shut and sent him through the Bifrost, the torment he faced for preferring his seidr, that wretched siren, and the utter agony that the Mad Titan subjected him to.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t even have the words to articulate how much I wish I could bring the Titan back and make him suffer as I did with Rydat.” 

Odin closed his eye, letting out a long breath. “I know. He did not suffer enough for what he did, not only to Loki, but to all of those worlds he destroyed in his revoltingly mad quest for absolute slaughter.”

They were quiet for what seemed like an eternity, just thinking about the torture that their youngest had been subjected to, flashing back to when they had discovered the utter mass of scars that had decorated Loki’s pale and sickly flesh. 

_ “What’s the status of the Hulk’s new chew toy?” Fury was standing on the bridge of the newly-repaired helicarrier, his one eye firmly locked on the surveillance footage of Loki’s cell.  _

_ “It’s exactly the same as what you see on the surveillance footage, sir. He hasn’t moved, hasn’t blinked, hasn’t breathed without us seeing and knowing about it.”  _

_ Fury nodded, his eye finally moving to another screen. “Good. Thor said that Asgard will be arriving shortly to retrieve the prisoner, and until then, I don’t want you to blink until that happens, do you understand Agent?”  _

_ There was a brief pause until Hill answered. “Understood sir.”  _

_ Outside, there was a flash of light, a massive rotating array of colour that vanished, leaving behind four individuals.  _

_ There were three men and one woman, the two in front of the small group radiating power, even from a few yards away. Fury stepped towards the intercom system, pressing the button that projected his voice onto the tarmac rather than inside the helicarrier.  _

_ “If you would make your way to the door to your left, a team will be over shortly to assist your entry and escort you to the bridge.”  _

_ If the Asgardians were surprised or caught off guard, it did not show on their faces, letting him know that he would not be able to gain the upper hand through shock value as he had done with Thor.  _

_ Turning around, Fury touched his earpiece. “The Asgardians are here, send Romanoff, Thor, Rogers, and two other escorts to secure any weapons they might have, and then escort them to the bridge. Remain where you are and if there are any problems, have Romanoff let me know.”  _

_ “Yes sir.”  _

_ A few minutes passed, the anticipation building inside of the bridge growing to almost an explosive rate. “Sir, we have a problem.” Fury turned and headed through the halls until he was near inside the hangar, Natasha’s voice passing through the room as she tried to calm the two Asgardian warriors that were pointing their deadly-looking spears at the group receiving them, planted protectively in front of the two regally-dressed figures.  _

_ “At ease Romanoff, I’ll speak with the Asgardians now.” The two groups turned to face him, the two Asgardian warriors still in defensive positions.  _

_ The woman stepped forward. “I assume you are Nicholas J. Fury?”  _

_ The man in question stepped forward until he was directly across from the Asgardian party. “I am, what seems to be the issue?”  _

_ One of the agents Hill had sent with the newly christened Avengers stepped forward, lowering his gun as he saluted. “Sir, the Asgardian party has refused to give up any weapons on their persons.”  _

_ Fury glared, clasping his hands behind his back. “I didn’t ask you, did I, Agent?” As the agent in question stepped back, Fury directed his attention to Thor. “Thor? Since you claim to be the prince of Asgard, would you be able to tell me who these people are?”  _

_ He must have said something wrong because Thor stepped forward threateningly, gripping his hammer before growling out his reply. “These people’, as you have addressed them, are my parents, King Odin and Queen Frigga of Asgard, Allfather and protector of the Nine Realms, wielder of Gungnir and the Odinforce, son of Bor, and father of Loki and Thor.”  _

_..he definitely said something wrong. A laugh that was distinctly Stark’s echoed throughout the hangar.  _

_ “Oh boy, director. I would’ve thought you’d know better, but you have proven me wrong.”  _

_ Tony dissolved into guffaws again and they could all hear the faint voice of Doctor Banner admonishing Tony for his poor timing.  _

_ “How the hell did you get into the system again Stark?” The day had barely even started, and Fury was at the limits of his patience.  _

_ “Seriously Nicky. First of all, I’m Tony Stark, and secondly, I never left. You thought you kicked me out of your servers, but I just had JARVIS run a cloaking program.”  _

_ Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fury turned back to the Asgardian royals, who had been watching the exchange with impassive faces, yet the Queen’s lips had twitched upward into a fond smile as she exchanged glances with her son.  _

_ “I apologize, your Majesties. It’s been a trying two days, and your other son has had everyone on edge.”  _

_ Odin lifted his eyebrow, his golden eyepatch glittering in the dull fluorescent lighting. “I accept your apology, Director Fury. If you don’t mind, my wife and I would like to see our son.”  _

_ Fury’s lips twitched, the frown he was fighting threatening to reveal itself at the dismissive tone that let him know that Odin didn’t care whether he minded or not. “Of course, your Majesty, Agent Romanoff can show you to a private room. Thor, we will need to talk some more before Loki is removed to Asgard for his punishment.”  _

_ Before Thor could answer, Frigga spoke up, her tone pleasantly neutral with a smile that had a slight threatening quality to it. “I believe our husband meant we would like to see our other son before we bring him along with Thor, the sceptre, and the Tesseract back to Asgard where the sceptre and Tesseract can be protected within our weapons vault.”  _

_ The backs of every single SHIELD agent stiffened as they watched their director closely. Fury decided to not comment, motioning for the Asgardians to follow him as he left the hangar, letting Hill know that he was on his way with both parties following. Tony met them near the entrance, chattering about some new project he was hoping to start working on.  _

_ Behind Fury’s back, Thor sighed. He flicked his fingers, subtly catching the attention of the Asgardian party. Using the signals that General Tyr had taught to every warrior during training, he quickly warned them to keep their guards up, the humans had no problems with eliminating an entire population of people if they had become a perceived threat, no matter how many innocents lived there, and that any weakness their expressions gave, it would be catalogued and exploited at any time needed.  _

_ Stopping at the heavily guarded door where Loki’s containment cell was located, Fury stopped, looking at Odin directly in his eye. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave your guards here. The agents that are inside this room are already on edge because of your son and seeing two huge men decked out in armour and deadly-looking weapons will turn this room into a bloodbath, sparking a war that will decimate the planet.”  _

_ Odin raised his eyebrow, but remained silent, nodding to guards who immediately took their places on the sides of the door, remaining stone-faced. Issuing the command to open the doors, Fury led them into the room, the heavily armed agents standing at stiff attention until he gave a casual ‘at ease’.  _

_ Loki was sitting in a padded containment cell, his arms secure in an off-white straightjacket, manacles securing his ankles to one wall and an Asgardian muzzle that prevented the god to use his seidr.  _

_ A sharp intake of air had the one-eyed director turning towards the remaining Asgardians. Thor was clutching his hammer tightly, his gaze thunderous as he beheld the state of his brother’s clearly declining health. Frigga’s eyes were chips of ice, her hands clenched so hard in the fabric of her dress, it seemed like any more pressure would rent the expensive cloth.  _

_ Odin’s face was impassive, but the way the air shimmered around Gungnir’s head, it was clear he was not pleased. “Is there a reason that my son is chained like an animal director?”  _

_ Loki jerked when he heard Odin’s voice, his blue eyes glinting with a manic light. The heavily armed agents shifted, hands gripping their weapons as a strangled noise bubbled out from around the muzzle.  _

_ Fury ignored the sound, turning his head and looking at the people behind him. “We didn’t acquire any other means to contain him more securely before you arrived. Trust me, this is a lot more comfortable than what the world security council would have me restrain him.” _

_ Odin remained silent, his eye narrowed in scrutiny as he assessed the truthfulness of Fury’s statement. “That may be so director, yet a simple pair of manacles provided by Thor would have sufficed.”  _

_ Fury gave him a sarcastic smile, directing his attention to the youngest Odinson who had fallen quiet. “Yes, but the bastard killed upwards of one hundred people already, a number we are still working to get an accurate count, enslaved a number of agents, mercenaries, and scientists to his will using his glowstick of destiny, not even mentioning the millions of dollars in damages to the city.”  _

_ Frigga stepped forward, meeting Fury’s eye with her own two, clasping her hands behind her back, and raising an eyebrow. “Asgard has been to war many times since its birth, all three of the men in my family have led countless campaigns against our enemies, killing countless men in a single hour, and yet we still treat our prisoners with the respect and dignity they deserve.”  _

_ Fury scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Loki is a war criminal, he hasn’t earned, nor does he deserve even a modicum of respect.”  _

_ Frigga smiled icily, taking a step forward and placing her hand on the pommel of her sword that hung from her side. “That may be so, yet regardless of his crimes, Loki is a prince of not only Asgard, but of Vanaheim, and refusing to treat him as his station demands could spark a war with not one, but two realms.” Allowing her words to sink in, Frigga met the eyes of every human in the room.  _

_ Fury was audibly gritting his teeth. “Is there a specific conclusion you would like us to come to, Your Majesty?”  _

_ Frigga smiled placidly. “Why of course, director.” Her smile grew sharp once again, Thor smiling slightly at the uncomfortable glances sent his way by his new comrades. “All I request is that my son is removed from that horrid contraption, you refrain from muzzling him like a dog, and allow a healer to tend to the wounds that I can clearly see as beginning to fester.”  _

_ Thor winced as his mother mentioned the muzzle, but the quelling look she shot him made i clear that it was something she had already had words with him over.  _

_ Steve shifted, directing their attention onto his shoulders. “I’m sure we can do just that Ma’am.” Fury shot him a look, but he glared right back, squaring his shoulders as he faced the man that had taken him out of retirement. “What? Everyone on this ship that is not part of SHIELD has advocated for him to at least receive some medical treatment, but you’ve just brushed us off.” Steve gestured to Tony, who hadn’t made one snide comment, furthering Steve’s belief that Tony wasn’t as terrible as the media and various SHIELD agents believed or depicted him as.  _

_ “I’m sure Stark would be ecstatic to tell you how bad Dr. Banner panicked, and how uncomfortable he looked when we hear you put Loki into a straight jacket. “  _

_ Fury didn’t look happy, but he nodded to Hill, who ordered all of the agents inside to stay on their guards before entering the necessary security information to open the cell into their respective machines.  _

_ One of the guards knelt down and unlocked the shackles keeping him locked to the floor as Loki watched him closely. Another agent moved into the cell and assisted the first in hoisting the incapacitated god to his feet, ignoring the quiet whine that escaped his throat. Nearly dragging him, the two agents escorted Loki across the room to the door, moving to exit the room. Tony slid in front of them with a cool smile, directing his gaze over to where Fury was standing. _

_ “Since I don’t trust you or your scientists from taking this opportunity to collect little pieces of Rudolph here to use as a weapon or to inject your agents with to make them stronger-” Frigga and Odin whipped their heads around to face Fury, their eyes promising to bring their combined wraths upon the director- “I might just ask Bruce to watch over them, so they don’t get any ideas.”  _

_ “Stark-” _

_ “I believe director, that since I am familiar with healing and I will be the one that is least likely to hurt my son.”  _

_ Fury tried to protest once more, but the Asgardians along with Tony and Steve, marched out of the room, the two Asgardian guards falling into place behind the royal family.  _

“I still can’t believe that we didn’t notice that anything was amiss until the moment they removed his armour.” Odin closed his eye, dragging a hand down his face. 

“I know.” 

“We should have  _ seen _ it, Odin. He was wearing different armour from the ceremonial piece he was wearing when he-” Frigga closed her eyes and visibly steeled herself before continuing- “When he fell. His eyes were blue, and he was acting more like Thor with his direct confrontation.” 

Jumping to her feet, Frigga began pacing, her hands wringing together as tears began forming in her eyes. Odin watched her for a minute before standing himself, drawing her into his arms. 

“The proof was right in front of us and still we did not see!”

Odin embraced her tighter, allowing her to cry into his tunic. 

“I know Frigga. I know that we, especially I, have made several grave mistakes. I cannot even fathom what Loki must have thought, but we are here now. Yggdrasil and her three ladies have given us a chance to correct our errors. Loki is here now, and we must atone for our transgressions against him, but we have our son back and he is not so guarded now that there are those out there who understand him in ways we may not.” 

Frigga’s tears slowed, and she pushed away from Odin, wiping her eyes cheeks as Odin watched her carefully. 

She gave him a soft smile, one he returned before they moved onto the balcony that overlooked the city. “Those Midgardian warriors are good for our sons, aren’t they?” 

“They are more likely to understand Loki and hold Thor accountable for his actions than the Lady Sif and The Warriors Three. They may have gained an understanding with Loki, but I’m afraid they will never truly be able to put aside their own biases and perceptions like the Midgardians.”

Odin wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her into his side. 

“I just hope that they remain that way.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was exhausting to write. I'm sorry it took so long


	3. Never quite healed properly

“So what about dragons”

“Dragons are real.”

“Unicorns?” 

“Yes.”

“How about sirens.” 

“Yes. Practically all creatures that come from any sort of legend have some or complete relation to the creatures that reside in one of the nine realms. Few are from outside Yggdrasil.” 

Clint leaned forward with a playful grin, wincing slightly as the movement aggravated his ribs. “Did you really fuck a horse?” 

Loki spluttered, choking as the rest of the team guffawed. “Clint!” 

Clint leaned back, massaging his shoulder. “What? It’s a valid question and I can’t remember if you’ve already told us.” 

Loki rolled his eyes, flicking his fingers and smirking when Clint jumped and ducked to avoid the pillow sent his way. “I have told you the truth behind all of the myths several times, but since you apparently need more reminders to get it to stick in your head, I will explain one last time.” 

Loki leaned forward a dangerous gleam in his eye that the team had learned quite thoroughly to be wary of. “No, I did not fuck a horse. Sleipnir’s mother died and the seidr used to keep her alive during her pregnancy caused some, unforeseen side effects, but once she died he simply became attached to me as a surrogate mother.” 

Clint leaned back, twirling a pencil around his fingers as Natasha spoke up. “You said that creatures from the myths more or less originated from the nine realms.” Loki nodded, tilting his head slightly in a silent inquiry of where she was taking the train of thought. 

“I’m assuming it applies to pretty much all cultures?” 

Loki nodded again, tilting his head thoughtfully. “More or less. Creatures such as the phoenix and unicorn originate from Mulspheheim and Alfheim respectively, but creatures such as the  Quetzalcoatl are a mixture between two different creatures that reside in Yggdrasil.” 

Tony leaned forward this time, his hands supporting his head as his elbows rested on his knees. “I’m guessing this applies to more modern interpretations such as the ones from Harry Potter?” 

Loki threaded his fingers together. “It is quite possible. I believe that the Occamy was inspired by the Quetzalcoatl, but with a few variations of course. I imagine that much of the world the author created would have to be based upon some sort of myth or legend, so it isn’t too much of a stretch to assume that creatures such as the Blast-ended-skrewt, which I have never seen in my time, would have been a combination of something very real.”

Natasha nodded thoughtfully. Tony noticed how she seemed rather contemplative and decided to call her out for it since he was dying to know why she had gone that route of thought. “Is there something wrong Nat?” 

She shook her head, directing her attention back to the present. “No, I was just thinking of creatures that could create La Llorona.” 

“Why La Llorona?” 

Natasha pulled out her phone for a second before putting it back into her pocket. “They’re releasing that new horror film on her tomorrow and I was thinking we should go see it.” 

Steve pulled out his phone, looking around at the team as he shrugged. “I don’t see why not. We’re all on technical leave until Clint’s fully healed so we don’t have a mission that will need our time and attention.” He gave a playful glare in Loki’s direction, laughing as he caught the pillow thrown his way. “Of course, if Loki doesn’t decide to lead an alien army in an attempt to achieve global domination.” 

The god in question’s eyes glimmered as he adopted a maniacal grin, his entire persona shifting to match. “And why would I tell you about my plans. I assure you, captain, you will not have time to contain my wretched self as I dominate your world with enchanted ice cream.” 

The team dissolved into laughter at the declaration. A few minutes passed until they sobered. 

Loki leaned forward, directing his attention towards Natasha. “I have not heard this particular legend. Enlighten me?”

Natasha grinned, the rest of the team widening their eyes in mock childish glee as they moved to the floor at her feet. “Gather round children. Let me regale you with the tale of the wailing woman.” 

Loki and Thor flinched, the movement was quick, but the dawning horror in his emerald eyes vanished as everyone turned to see what the movement had been. Somewhat confused, Natasha continued. 

“In Mexican folklore, La Llorona "The Wailing Woman" or "the Cryer" is a legend about the ghost of a woman who steals children and drowns them. Multiple variations exist, as is common in oral tradition.

The story says that a woman was unloved by her husband, who loved their two sons instead. She caught her husband with another woman and drowned her sons in a river, in grief and anger, and then drowned herself. She was refused entry to heaven until she found the souls of her two sons. She cries and wails and takes children and drowns them in the same river where she and her sons drowned.”

Loki sucked in a short breath, hands shaking violently as his mind flooded with memories he had attempted to suppress. 

The team turned towards the brothers as a heavy downpour started outside, lightning flashing and thunder crashing outside. Loki’s face was a grey-green that accentuated the still-gaunt hollows of his cheeks, highlighting the cheekbones that were sharp enough to cut through uru and vibranium like a knife through water.

Thor was looking much better, but his hand was absentmindedly the old wound that only affected him when he was absolutely exhausted. Shaking his head, Thor turned to Loki and placed his hands on the still-too-thin shoulders. 

“Loki, Loki. Look at me brother. You are not in the Blodig Skog any longer. The siren has no control over you anymore. She is dead, mother-” Thor cursed himself as Loki flinched violently at the word, dislodging Thor’s hands and curling into himself, tears shining in his glazed eyes.

“Thor-” Thor held up a hand and cut off the team, who had risen behind them. He did not bother looking back, knowing that they would understand his actions. 

Loki’s breaths were coming in sharp bursts, stars exploding in his vision as his fingers scrabbled at the near-invisible track marks from so long ago. He could vaguely hear Thor over the rushing waterfall in his ears, his wordless pleas falling on deaf ears. 

He felt hands prying his fingers away from his arm, arms wrapping around his shaking body. A heart beat under his ear, strong and sure, the  _ thu-thumps _ of the muscle providing a stable sound to latch onto. A large hand smoothed his hair back, carding through the silky black strands as quiet rumbles drew an honest-to-gods whimper from his throat. 

As his breaths slowed, an all-consuming panic enveloped his mind, crying out for the strong presence at his side to not leave him alone. Something was pressed onto his forehead, the quiet assurance of the gesture quieting his mind and allowing him to slip into the darkness that enveloped his senses like a soft blanket, swirls of familiar golden light dragging him deeper and deeper into unconsciousness. 

* * *

Thor frowned, looking down at his baby brother as he lost his battle against the unconsciousness. 

“Thor.” 

Turning his head, he saw the entire team looking at the two of them with varying expressions of concern. “He hasn’t reacted this badly since the night we got him back.” Thor frowned, stroking a stray strand of hair from Loki’s forehead. “Though, I suppose that after everything he went through at the hands of Thanos and his children, it was only a matter of time before something set him off.” 

“What do you mean?” Thor smiled bitterly up at Steve as he continued carding his fingers through his brother’s raven locks. 

“He’s still bottling things up. Every time he hears, smells, or sees something that reminds him of his time in the Sanctuary, Loki shoves his reactions down. I might need your help breaking him of that habit.” 

Bruce nodded, lowering himself to the ground. “And you’ll get that help. But Thor, I think Steve was talking more about the first part.” 

Thor sighed deeply, gently picking his brother up and smiling sadly when Loki curled up against him when he sat down on the couch, the other Avengers sitting on the couch across from them. 

“Around two hundred years ago, the royal family of Vanaheim sent a message requesting aid in hunting down a creature that had been dubbed ‘the Weeping Siren.’ They had been hunting her for months through the Blodig Skog, a vast forest full of enchantments so strong that many go mad just residing in Ju, the village alongside it.” 

Thor wove his tale, telling his friends of Prince Tjan and the efforts of him and his men that had started months before Vanaheim requested aid. He told them of Loki’s reservations, how the siren had been taking children and watched the horror on their faces grow as he spoke about how haggard the vanaheimr had been even after the long nights' rest. He spoke of how the group had separated, how the siren had slaughtered the men, leaving Thor with a ragged wound in his leg and a mad prince as they wandered the forest for months. 

He recounted how he had returned to Asgard nearly on the brink of death to the devastation of his parents. He watched as they laughed at his stubbornness and Eir’s scolding. He watched them let go of their tight reign on their emotions as he cried remembering how they searched until they detected Loki’s magic. 

Their eyes widened as he delved into the memories of finding the missing children in the tunnels underneath the forest, gasping when he told them how he had found Loki, Sif, and the Warriors Three, the siren standing over them with a blade raised above her head. 

They were silent as Thor spoke of Loki’s terror at her touch, Frigga’s fury at his quiet and fearful whisper as he called the siren ‘mother’. They cried when Thor told them of their return to Asgard, with the Warriors Three reduced to fearful children as Loki lay still, as the healers declared him brain dead. They wept with tears of joy when he recounted how he had been terrified once he found Loki’s bed empty, the palace in a tizzy until they found Loki curled up in terror as Sif held him. 

His voice was nearly hoarse with use as he delved into the memory of the siren’s trial, of how Loki lurched backwards as the siren tried to reach for him. The skies darkened and the flashes of lightning and thunder told the team exactly how he felt when he saw how Loki panicked and then calmed once he was given a shot of water, Frigga’s magic conjuring loose shackles to anchor his ankle to the bed, how Loki shied away from calling Frigga ‘mother’, flinching when she called them her children. 

“Rydat, or the siren had killed her husband and drowned her two children centuries before she started killing the parents and stealing the child to add to her collection. She had forced the children, and later on my brother and my friends, to call her ‘Mother’ for nearly a year before they managed to escape. She shackled their ankles to their beds and made them work in a small clearing where they harvested crops that grew within that clearing.” 

They were silent as Thor’s eyes glazed over, his voice hoarse as he rubbed his leg. “Sif told me that Fandral grew sick and therefore could not wake, but Loki took Fandral’s punishment, not allowed to sleep or eat for every day Fandral was sick. She also gave Loki Aetheitin, a drug that was used on the prisoners with seidr who were awaiting execution, it was not meant for extended use, and so Loki nearly died from both the use and the withdrawals that came after.”

When Thor finished, he refused to meet the gazes of his teammates, massaging the frown lines between Loki’s eyes until they disappeared. 

Tony was the first to speak up, releasing the air in his lungs in one breath that hissed out. “Fuck. That’s just-” Tony shook his head, unable to even think of what Loki’s mental state afterwards must have been like. -”That’s really messed up.” 

Thor nodded mournfully. “I know.”

Natasha was next, standing up and wrapping her arms around Thor before releasing and taking one of Loki’s hands in hers. “None of you deserved what happened to you. I’m positive everyone will help the two of you with anything you need.” 

Thor nodded thankfully, not trusting himself to speak without bursting into blubbering tears as everyone nodded.

There was a silence that seemed to absorb all sound until Tony made a small noise. They all turned to see him looking at Loki with a world-weary expression. “When he wakes up, he’s not going to be okay, so we shouldn’t leave him alone, not for long anyway.” 

Thor nodded, gazing into the distance. “I don’t think he’s been okay for a long time.” 

Tony nodded, getting up and placing his hand on Thor’s broad shoulder. “It’s okay for you not to be, but now he has us.” Tony looked around the room before returning his gaze to Thor, squeezing his shoulder. “You both do. You’re not alone anymore.” 

Steve, Bruce, and Clint joined their group, shoulders or knees touching as they looked around at their family, hearts swelling. “None of us are alone anymore. That’s what family is for.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a doozy. 
> 
> I had a great time writing this, and I hope you've all enjoyed reading it. 
> 
> Thanks again.


End file.
